Bahamas & Mexico DIY Bonefishing
Do-it-yourself fly fishing in the Bahamas & Mexico
We offer DIY fishing packages in the Bahamas & Mexico. We assist anglers desiring to fish on the islands of Eleuthera, Acklins, Cat, Great Inagua, Long Island & Mayaguana in the Bahamas, and the Mayan Coast region of Mexico. Our DIY trips are great for cost-conscious fishermen and they provide outstanding fishing opportunities. If you want to four-wheel, hike or kayak into remote, lightly fished areas, these trips provide that opportunity. Bonefish, tarpon, permit, jacks, snapper, barracuda and sharks are just some of the fish you’ll see, all while exploring and fishing these beautiful islands!
We do the work and take care of the planning for you. You are not roughing it on these trips. Everything is taken care of, so you're not wasting valuable fishing time finding the best flats, preparing meals, cleaning your room, or worrying about those things. Our help & information is designed to get you fishing in productive areas immediately, hastening the learning curve all anglers must go thru when fishing a new, unknown destination without guides. Guides are available for a day or more if desired.
Here's what some of our clients have said!
"Vince, thanks for helping my brother Keith and I put together an excellent DIY Bonefish trip on Eleuthera! Keith had his wife with him, and I my fiance. The girls had a wonderful time soaking up the sun, bathing the beaches, and drinking Kaliks, while we fished much of the time away. The package information you provided was invaluable, helping us to find some real good Bones that would eat. With comfortable accommodations, good restaraunts, and the girls enjoying themselves, I think we'll be back again soon!" Steve Wacker--New Jersey
The Islands
If you want to get away from it all, Acklins is the place!
Acklins Island is one of the more quiet islands of the Bahamas, and is located in the southeastern part of the Bahamas chain. Acklins is approximately 50 miles long, between 1 and 6 miles wide and has a population of around 400 people. It's a remote bonefishing paradise. Ivels Lodge is on the water and offers bonefishing directly out front, and it's location on the island offers anglers a great base for exploring all of the flats on Acklins!
Along the Atlantic, or eastern coastline of Acklins, are numerous hidden coves with extensive, beautiful beaches and a number of tiny, colorful villages. Nice bones can be found along many of these deserted beaches, as well as barracuda, sharks, jacks and other reef fish. There are also many fishing opportunities on the bight side of Acklins, where most of the traditional bonefish flats are located. There are miles of shallow flats where you'll encounter tailing bones, hungry barracudas and more. Exploring this area could take a lifetime.
Bonefishing, snorkeling, swimming and sunbathing--that's it! (and that's how we like it) Click on the tabs to the right to learn more about your options on Acklins.
Suitable for your non-angling partner, yet offering great bonefishing and remote flats & beaches
Eleuthera, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean on one side and the Caribbean Sea on the other, is over 100 miles long and up to 3 miles wide at its widest point, with a population of approximately 15,000 people. Development has not yet marred this beautiful Bahamian family island. There are no malls, high rises or traffic jams. Life moves at a leisurely pace here.
Eleuthera possesses some of the most spectacular pink and white sand beaches in the World, with sheltered coves and dramatic cliffs reaching up to 70 feet above sea level. Settlements with pastel-hued cottages and white picket fences spilling over with hibiscus and bougainvillea, dot the Island from one end to the other. With the deep blue waters of the Atlantic to its east and the clear, warm shallows of the Bight of Eleuthera and the Bahama Bank to its west, Eleuthera offers excellent fishing and exploring. Eleuthera is a great location to take your family, or non-angling friend. There's great fishing as well as other activities to keep everyone happy.
The settlement of Palmetto Point, where Unique Village Resort is located, is in the center of the Island. It's a great base for exploring the central part of the island, and the quieter, more remote southern end of Eleuthera. Click on the tab to the right to learn more about Eleuthera.
The outback of the Bahamas--a remote island paradise for bonefish & tarpon
Great Inagua is the third largest & southernmost inhabited island in the Bahamas, located 55 miles from the eastern tip of Cuba. The island encloses several lakes, most notably the 12-mile long Lake Windsor (also called Lake Rosa) which occupies nearly 1/6 of the interior.
Inagua offers excellent bonefishing along with the usual flats species, as well as very good baby tarpon fishing for fish up to 50 lbs. The huge island of Great Inagua is an explorer's paradise. The bird life on the island is phenomenal, and there are wild donkeys, goats and hogs. The Inagua National Park, which makes up almost half the island, is home to more than 60,000 flamingos, considered one of the largest colonies in the world. Other resident exotic birds include Bahama parrots, pelicans, herons, egrets, burrowing owls and Bahama pintail ducks.
Also located on Great Inagua is The Morton Salt Company’s main facility. Known for seawater salt recovery, Morton Salt uses this facility to produce about a million pounds of salt per year—the second largest saline operation in North America. This has long been Inagua's main industry.
Packages provide guests with excellent 4 x 4 vehicles for exploring this rugged & beautiful island. Comfortable accommodations and good Bahamian meals will ensure you are well rested for long days of fishing & exploring. Click on the link or tab to the right to learn more about Inagua Outback Lodge.
The home of the big bones
For experienced and die hard anglers looking to pursue large Bahamian bonefish, the island of Mayaguana is a great option. Bonefishing on Mayaguana is not a numbers game, so this is not a destination for beginners or those looking to rack up impressive numbers of fish. But for experienced anglers looking to get shots at bonefish in the 6-10lb range on a remote and peaceful Bahamian island, Mayaguana could be for you.
Long Island Bonefishing Lodge is located on the west side of Long Island, where guests enjoy beautiful sunsets and views overlooking the bonefish flats in the distance. The Lodge is a wonderful place to spend a week exploring all that Long Island has to offer. The accommodations consist of two duplex style cottages with each side furnished for two fishermen. The rooms are comfortably furnished with two queen size beds, closet space and one bathroom. There are decks off of each cottage over looking the water with ample room to store all your gear. The dining room and bar is where you'll have your meals. Guests hang out in the lounge for cocktail hour, as well as the deck adjacent to the lounge, which is perched over the water and has stunning views!
There are many great flats and beaches to fish for bonefish on Long Island, as well as canals that hold baby tarpon. The famous & beautiful Dean's blue hole is just a short drive away. There is also enough to do for the non-angler here, from swimming & snorkeling stunning beaches to visiting old, historic churches, and more.
For DIY anglers, Cat Island is a great place to experience excellent, unpressured fly fishing, and to also please non-angling family & friends. This laid back jewel in the central Bahamas has picturesque beaches, extensive creek systems and plenty of fun restaurants and bars to visit. Cat island is a great place to combine a family vacation with some DIY fishing, but it is also suitable for hardcore diy anglers.
The village of Mahahual lies in the middle of 78 miles of fishable coastline with excellent access for the DIY angler. A 40 minutes drive south and you are in the village of Xcalak and accessing the famous bonefish and permit flats of Chetumal bay. A 40 minutes drive north and you are entering the Sian Kaan biosphere from the southern end approaching the practically un-fished Espiritu Santo Bay. The fishing options include DIY walk and wade on the numerous beaches and rocky points up and down the coastline, kayaking the coastline and inner lagoons, & guided fishing by boat in the tarpon lagoons, (10-30 mins to the north of Mahahual) and guided flats fishing in Chetumal Bay. These trips are great for non-angling partners too!
The local waters accessible to the diy angler have excellent populations of bonefish, tarpon and permit, and jacks and barracuda are always around. For the diy angler seeking the most elusive of the flat’s inhabitants, permit are found up and down the coast and come in to shore to feed on the reefs and extensive turtle grass flats that are found all along the shoreline. These flats and reefs are easily accessible to diy anglers. The larger permit feed on the turtlegrass flats along the oceanfront on an incoming tide, often in the morning or evening. We suggest the months of May, June, and July for fishermen specifically targeting the bigger permit. Smaller school permit are present throughout the season.
For baby tarpon, you can fish the bays along the coast, or if you're adventurous, kayak into the lagoons in search of the silver kings
We take the guesswork out of planning a DIY fishing trip. Leave the planning to us and enjoy a hassle free, affordable fly fishing trip to the Bahamas or Mexico.
Acklins Island
Great Inagua
Mayaguana
Cat Island
Long Island
Eleuthera
Mexico DIY
Helpful Links
